Women's Educational and Industrial Union facts for kids

The Women's Educational and Industrial Union (WEIU) was an important organization in Boston, Massachusetts. It was started in 1877 by a doctor named Harriet Clisby. The main goal of the WEIU was to help women and children, especially in a busy city like Boston where many people worked in factories. By 1893, similar groups were also set up in Buffalo and Rochester, New York.

How It Started

In the late 1800s, Boston was growing very fast. Lots of people were moving there, and new factories were opening. But this also meant many women and children were working in tough conditions. Their homes were often crowded, and sanitation was poor.

Dr. Harriet Clisby, who was one of America's first women doctors, saw these problems. She decided to create the Women's Educational and Industrial Union in 1877 to help.

Before starting the WEIU, Dr. Clisby had been holding "Sunday Meetings for Women" at her home since 1872. The idea for the WEIU grew out of these meetings. At first, men were invited to speak, but in 1874, the members decided to make the meetings just for women. They believed women could connect better and learn from each other in a women-only space.

By 1903, men were allowed to join as associate members. As the 20th century began, the Women's Union became one of Boston's main groups for helping people and speaking up for women. Many famous women from Boston, like Abby Morton Diaz, Louisa May Alcott, and Julia Ward Howe, were involved in the Union's early days.

What the Union Did

The Women's Educational and Industrial Union did many amazing things over the years to support women and families:

• In 1877, the Union opened a store. This store helped women earn money by selling crafts and food they made at home. The store, called "The Shop at the Union," sold gifts, cards, jewelry, and clothes, often made by women artists. It closed in 2004.
• In 1878, the Protective Committee was created. It gave free legal advice to poor workers who didn't know their rights. It also highlighted the legal rights of women and children. In 1921, another group took over this work, but only after the Union made sure they hired a female lawyer.
• In 1899, the Women's Union started a training program for blind adults. They also collected Braille books for the Boston Public Library. A few years later, they successfully pushed for the creation of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. Mary Morton Kehew, who was the Union's President, even convinced Helen Keller to speak to lawmakers about how important education was for blind people.
• In 1905, the Union began a program to train women for jobs in retail stores. Women learned skills like buying, accounting, and sales. Big stores like Filene's and Jordan Marsh hired the graduates. Later, Simmons College took over this program, and it still exists today.
• In 1907, the Women's Union started the country's first hot lunch program for public schools. Until 1944, the Union prepared up to 18,000 lunches every day for students in Boston schools!
• In 1910, the Union created the Appointment Bureau. This office was famous for helping college-educated women find jobs in fields other than teaching. The famous aviator Amelia Earhart even got job help here before her historic flight across the Atlantic. The Union has helped hundreds of thousands of people find jobs and careers over the years.
• In 1913, the Women's Union opened the first credit union in the country. A credit union is like a bank, but it's owned by its members.
• In 1916, the Union opened the Bookshop for Boys and Girls. This bookshop published The Horn Book, which was the first publication in the United States to review children's books. The government later used The Horn Book to help schools choose books.
• In 1930, the Union started the Bureau of the Handicapped. This program provided training and jobs for people with physical disabilities. Today, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission handles this work.
• In 1965, the Union published a guide to nursing and rest homes. This helpful guide has been updated many times and is now called the Guide to Long-Term Care Alternatives in Massachusetts.
• In 1966, the Union started the Homemaker Training Program with the Boston Public Welfare Department.
• In 1967, the Union began the Companions Unlimited program. This program provided visiting services for elderly and disabled adults. Another organization took over this program in 1994.
• In 1970, the Union started the Family Day Care Program. This program trained women and men to become licensed home day care providers. Another group later took over this program, and it is still running today.
• In 1985, the Union launched Massachusetts' first program to help homeless women and mothers with children. The Horizons Housing Program helped families learn skills and set goals to live independently.
• In 1992, the Union started a job training program for employment advisers. This program helped people who were changing careers or looking for work learn how to give job advice to others.
• In 1996, the Union successfully opened the Boston Career Link. This was one of Massachusetts' first "One-Stop Career Centers," where people could get all kinds of job help in one place.
• In 1997, the Union started "To Market, To Market." This project helped women who were creating products get technical help and find places to sell their goods.
• In 1998, the Union launched the Massachusetts Family Economic Self-Sufficiency (MassFESS) Project. This group worked to help families become financially stable. They created "The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Massachusetts" to show the real cost of living and working in the state without extra help. In 2000, they published a report to show why families needed help to earn enough to live on.
• In 2001, the Union started its Woman to Woman program. This program offered professional training and mentoring to low-income mothers. It helped them become financially independent and strengthen their families.
• In 2004, the Union moved to a new location in Government Center. This new space had offices, training rooms for home health care workers, and a technology training center.

The Amelia Earhart Award

In 1926, Amelia Earhart came to The Women’s Union for help finding a job. She was placed as a social worker in a Boston immigrant settlement house. At the same time, she kept working on her flying skills. In 1928, this former client of the Union became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean!

The Amelia Earhart Award was created in 1982. It honors a woman who shows the same pioneering spirit as Amelia Earhart. Each year, the award celebrates a woman who has greatly helped create more opportunities for other women.

Past Honorees:

• 2009 – Barbara Lynch
• 2008 - Suze Orman
• 2006 - Anna Quindlen
• 2005 - Susan Hockfield
• 2004 - Doris Kearns Goodwin
• 2003 - Marian Wright Edelman
• 2002 - Ruth Simmons
• 2001 - Liz Walker
• 2000 - Gwen Ifill
• 1999 - Julia Child

Joining Forces in 2006

In July 2006, the Women's Educational and Industrial Union joined with another organization called Crittenton, Inc. They formed a new group called Crittenton Women's Union. They did this to better help low-income women and their families.